


Secrets at Shadow Ranch

by Aurora_Mandeville



Series: Nancy Drew (Retelling) [1]
Category: Nancy Drew (Video Games), Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Gen, secret of shadow ranch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-06 02:31:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15876648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurora_Mandeville/pseuds/Aurora_Mandeville
Summary: A combination of the fifth book and the tenth game, with a few twists. (On hold until the first book, Hidden Staircase at Lilac Inn, is finished.)Nancy convinces Emily Crandall to join her, Bess, George, and Helen on a vacation at Shadow Ranch, recently come into ownership by Bess and George's aunt and uncle. But things take a mysterious turn when the shadow that lies over the ranch is not of the mountain, but of the tragedy of an outlaw and the sheriff's daughter.





	1. To Shadow Ranch

“Nancy! Helen! Emily! Over here!” called out Bess Marvin as she waved at her three friends. Her cousin, George Fayne, was sitting down at a nearby table, sipping some soda. Nancy Drew, Helen Corning, and Emily Crandall waved back as they walked towards them. Bess hugged each of them. “I’m so glad you all could make it!”   
“Even if it won’t be as fun,” quipped George as she rose from the table to hug them. “Except for Nancy,” she said as she glanced at Nancy with a mischievous gleam to her brown eyes.   
“Oh, George, come on, don’t tease them. Let’s get to the car and we’ll explain on the way,” said Bess as she grabbed one of Helen’s bags.  
“Is it another mystery?” asked Nancy with hope as the group made their way towards the parking lot.   
“Which is why we’re so glad you’re here,” explained Bess as she led the way through the parking lot. “Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet will be able to keep Shadow Ranch if you solve this mystery!”   
“What do you mean, if? You do realize you’re talking about Nancy Drew, right?”  
Bess shot them a quick sheepish grin. “Yeah, I know, I know. She’s solved every mystery thrown her way. But this one is pretty wild.”   
“Hey, she’s got four of us to help her this time, we can handle this.” George shot Bess a grin. “Besides, I’m sure a cute cowboy or two would be more than happy to help.”   
Bess giggled. “Oh yes, having a cute cowboy nearby would be quite handy.”   
Helen squealed. “Ooh, are there enough for all of us?”   
“Unfortunately, no. Tex Britten is a bit older, and grumpier. He keeps telling us he’s got a girl, so don’t start asking. Shorty Steele is kinda weird, but he’s about the same age as Tex, maybe a bit younger. He just doesn’t seem interested at all. But, Dave Gregory and Bud Moore are super cute, and super available.”   
“Dave wasn’t too thrilled about you flirting with him, though,” remarked George.  
Nancy heaved a sigh. “Can we get back on topic, please?”  
George shot her a sheepish grin. “Yeah, sorry.”   
“Besides, we have five of us to help,” remarked Bess.   
“Five?” chorused Nancy, Helen, and Emily.   
“That’s only if Alice wants to help, Nancy knows she can definitely count on us four.” George paused and glanced at the group. “Right?”   
Helen scoffed. “Are you kidding? Of course!”   
Emily smiled. “After all she’s done for me, how can I say no?”   
“So, who’s Alice?” said Nancy.   
“Our cousin,” replied Bess. “She and her father are visiting with Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet for the summer while Aunt Amy is on her art show. Uncle Ross is still out on a business trip, so only Alice is there right now.”   
“Alright, now will you tell me about the mystery?”   
“Well, listen, about that . . . hey! What you doing near our car?” George shouted as she took off running.   
“George, wait!” Bess called after her, but George kept on going. “Oh, this is why George didn’t want to talk about the mystery!”   
“What?” blurted Nancy as she glanced between Bess and the disappearing figure of George. Acting on instinct, Nancy dropped her bags and and took off after George.   
“Nancy!” called out Bess, Helen, and Emily, but Nancy kept on after George. She caught up to her as she was coming back.   
“He got away,” mumbled George.   
“What in the world is going on?” exclaimed Nancy.   
“Apparently a lot more than we previously thought. Come on, we’d better get back to the ranch, I’d feel safer there.” Nancy could only nod and follow George back to the car. By the time they got there, the bags were already in the trunk, and the others were waiting in the car with the doors locked. Bess unlocked the doors as soon as Nancy and George were close enough. George took a quick look at the engine while Nancy got into the car.  
“Don’t run off on us like that again. Especially after someone obviously dangerous!” blurted Bess as George slid into the driver’s seat.   
“Hey, he decided to run. I just wanted to make sure that he didn’t do any more damage than he did. Besides, if I had run into security, I would have handed it over to them.”   
“Did he do a lot of damage?” asked Emily as George started the car.   
George shook her head. “Thankfully we got here early enough that he couldn’t do anything, at least that I could see. No telling if there’s anything else.”   
“No sign of a bomb, or anything?”   
“A bomb?” exclaimed Helen and Emily as George shook her head.   
“Nothing extra, nothing out of place,” George replied as she pulled out of the airport parking lot.   
“Alright, now will you tell me what’s going on?”   
“Yes, please!” blurted Helen and Emily.   
“You’re annoying me with all this talk about a mystery, but no details!” said Helen.   
George nodded at Bess. “Give her the paper, and we’ll go from there.”   
Bess nodded and twisted in her seat to hand Nancy a piece of paper. Nancy opened the folded piece of paper and read the words printed out. “Stay away from Shadow Ranch, or else.”   
“You haven’t started working on the mystery, and we’re already getting death threats?” said Helen as Nancy looked over the paper.   
“We stopped at the closest gas station to the airport to fill up and get some water. When we got back, this was taped to the driver’s window,” said Bess.   
“And this isn’t even the worst of it,” said George.   
“It’s not?” said Emily and Helen in unison.   
“What could be worse than getting death threats?” asked Emily as she glanced from person to person.   
“Having a rattlesnake in Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet’s room last night,” muttered Bess gloomily. The three girls gasped.   
“Are they alright?” said Nancy with worry.   
Bess nodded. “Thankfully, yes, they are. Uncle Ed was able to fight it off with one of Aunt Bet’s umbrellas. The snake bit the umbrella several times. I hate to think what would have happened if it bit Uncle Ed.” Bess shivered despite the heat.   
“And that’s not all. I really hate it if Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet had to lose Shadow Ranch so soon. They got it only two months ago as payment for a debt,” quipped George as she took a quick look at the three in the back. She was turning onto the highway now, yet there were no cars to be seen. In fact, there were no buildings of any kind as far as the eye could see. “Why don’t you start the story when we got there,” advised George.   
Bess nodded before letting out a breath. Nancy pursed her lips. Having known George and Bess now for several years, Nancy could tell Bess was worried. But this was her family, she was also determined to help them out. “So, the other night, when we got there, Tex kept going on and on about how we shouldn’t be there. When we asked Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet about it, they would say it was nothing and asked everyone not to talk anymore about it. Well, that night, a scorpion somehow got into the kitchen. Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet had been saying that there was no way a scorpion could get into the house, and yet one had!”   
Emily and Helen gasped while Nancy listened intently.   
“Shorty saw it before it stung the cook, Mrs. Thurmond, thankfully. But we had to do a complete search of the house to make sure there were no more. Aunt Bet was starting to get spooked, but Uncle Ed managed to calm her down by telling her it was bound to happen. Sure, Shadow Ranch doesn’t usually get scorpions, but there’s bound to be a straggler or two and we’ll just have to be a little more careful. And then, last night, we saw the phantom horse.”   
“A phantom horse?” blurted Emily, Helen, and Nancy.   
Bess nodded. “It came running up to the ranch. It had this eerie and filmy glow about it. Everyone was spooked. Tex started talking about that was the reason why we shouldn’t be there. Another rancher named George said he had enough and left. Shorty was going on and on about Dirk Valentine’s ghost coming to enact his curse . . .”   
“Dirk Valentine?” asked Helen.   
“I’ll explain that in a moment. Point is, Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet finally sat us down and told us everything. The phantom horse had begun showing up a few days ago and stuff began happening. The power would go out for no reason, the water pump stopped working and rusted over even though it was brand new, and they found out one of the windmills had been pulled down right before Aunt Bet came to get us, actually. One time, somehow the back gate was open and some coyotes got into the pen, chasing the chickens and scaring the horses. Thankfully Uncle Ed and the hands were able to scare them off before they did any real damage, but still, Uncle Ed himself closed that gate! Dave and Bud were with him too, checking for holes in the fence!”   
“Oh my goodness! I can see why Tex wouldn’t want us there!” said Helen.   
Nancy merely rubbed her chin as she thought. She wasn’t exactly sure ghosts were real, but she did know that most of the time, paranormal activity could be explained with simple parlor tricks. A gate that opened by itself when the owner himself closed it? A scorpion, and later a rattlesnake, getting into a house they normally wouldn’t have? Parts breaking down when they were brand new? Definitely not paranormal.   
“I’m thinking this is an inside job,” Nancy said after a moment of silence. She glanced up, everyone but George were watching her intently.   
“You think so?” said Bess. “Though, I don’t know how that’s any better, really. They could try to harm us, and who knows how many are in on it!”   
“So, we should proceed with caution. Everyone is a suspect until otherwise proven innocent.”   
“Even the cowboys?” asked Bess dejectedly.   
“You heard her Bess, everyone. So yes, that includes the cute cowboys,” quipped George.   
Bess let out a long, dejected sigh. “Oh, alright. This is for Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet.”  
“That’s the spirit,” her cousin stated encouragingly. Bess smiled.   
“But what about this Dirk Valentine?” asked Helen.   
“Oh yes, Shorty Steele told us that night that the phantom horse belongs to Dirk Valentine, this old-time outlaw. See, he fell in love with Frances Humber, the local sheriff’s daughter and the original owner of Shadow Ranch. The sheriff found out about it, and swore to bring Dirk Valentine to justice himself, he didn’t want a no-good desperado wooing his daughter. Sheriff Humber finally caught Dirk Valentine and he was sentenced to hang. But before he was hung, Dirk Valentine told the sheriff that he put a curse on Shadow Ranch. His horse would haunt Shadow Ranch from then on, and whenever it appeared, destruction would follow. Well, the first night it appeared was the night Frances Humber disappeared from Shadow Ranch, never to be seen again.”   
“Whoa,” chorused Emily and Helen in awe. Nancy just sat there, soaking in the tale. Ghost stories like that always thrilled her, even though she was fairly certain the phantom horse they had been seeing lately was nothing but a real horse rigged up to look like a phantom.   
“Isn’t it romantic? I wish I could be swept away by a cute cowboy into the sunset,” said Bess, ending her sentence with a romantic sigh.   
Nancy did her best to keep the smirk off her face, and finally succeeded when a question came to mind. “Are there accounts of Dirk Valentine’s horse being seen after Frances’ disappearance?”   
“Hmm, funny thing that, not really,” said George. “We looked into it the next morning after Shorty told us, and everybody knows the tale of Dirk Valentine, Frances Humber, and the phantom horse, but there weren’t many accounts of seeing the horse between Frances’ disappearance and recently.”   
“At least of those in the area. The ranch itself has passed from person to person since Sheriff Humber, no one owning it for more than two years. There are more tales about that than sightings of the phantom horse.”   
“Like?” prodded Nancy.   
“Well,” said Bess, “ one common occurrence is that before the owners sell Shadow Ranch, somebody comes along looking for Dirk Valentine’s treasure.”   
“A treasure?” exclaimed Helen excitedly, glancing between Emily and Nancy.   
“Well yeah, “said George, “Dirk Valentine was an outlaw, the Wild West equivalent of pirates. It makes sense there’s treasure involved.”   
Nancy nodded. “That’s true.”   
“Oh, good point. Sorry, Bess, as you were saying?” said Helen.   
“You’re fine, I would have done the same.”   
Helen grinned. “True that.”   
Bess grinned back before continuing her tale. “Well, once that person who comes looking for Dirk Valentine’s treasure is either thrown out of town, or laughed out, because apparently everyone has gone looking for the treasure, but no one has found it. Anyway, once they’re gone, something terrible happens at the ranch, and the owners can’t stand it any longer and sell it, or are forced to sell it if the damage is beyond their financial means.”   
“That’s odd, sounds like that might more of a curse than the phantom horse,” quipped Nancy. “I wonder what’s with those people, though?”   
George shrugged as she took a quick glance back in the rearview mirror. “Got us. Our first thought was maybe descendants of Valentine’s gang or descendants of Frances Humber, if she ever got married.”   
Nancy glanced between Bess and George. “And you’re positively sure nothing can be found about what happened to Frances after her disappearance?”   
Both nodded solemnly, but Bess spoke. “We looked everywhere. We even checked online, in historical documents in the local church, everywhere. We couldn’t find a thing. It was like she vanished off the face of the planet!”   
“Very unlikely, unless she died in the wilderness. But I’m sure Valentine’s gang would have looked after her,” remarked Nancy.   
George nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised. They were pretty loyal to their leader.”   
“Well, as interesting as this all is, I would like to ask if either George or Bess could turn on the AC?” asked Emily. “I’m burning up!”   
“Holy smokes, you’re right!” exclaimed Bess as she turned to the knobs in the front. “But, but the AC is on!”   
“George, pull over, now!” ordered Nancy. George quickly pulled over.   
“Everyone out of the car! Bess, can you pass out the water in one thermos? Nancy, get me the other one, please!” stated George as she pulled out a handkerchief and headed towards the hood.   
“On it!” Both girls leapt into action. Bess opened the trunk and handed Nancy one thermos before grabbing the other and heading towards Helen and Emily. Nancy jogged to George, who was standing a bit away from the hood, waving away the steam with her handkerchief.   
“Thanks Nancy,” said George, her hand out to grab the thermos. Nancy nodded and was going to give it to her, but paused. The thermos didn’t feel heavy enough. Was there no water? “Nancy?”   
Nancy quickly opened the thermos and dumped the water into the engine, or tried to. Nothing came out.   
Bess let out a shriek at the same moment. “The thermos is empty!”   
George slammed the hood as her brown eyes flashed with fury. “So is this one.” She and Nancy joined the other three behind the car.   
“Now what will we do?” said Emily, starting to get a little panicky.   
“Once we’re not back at Shadow Ranch, Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet will either come to get us, or send someone to get us,” replied Bess reassuringly.   
“Once I get my hands on those crooks . . .” began George, but stopped and cracked her knuckles instead to prove her point.   
“They thought this would deter us from solving the mystery at Shadow Ranch, but now I’m more determined than ever to solve the mystery and beat them to the treasure of Dirk Valentine,” Nancy said firmly.   
George glanced at her, the beginnings of a smile forming on her face, though her eyes still sparked with anger and determination. “That’s right, they can’t scare us. And they’re going to find out real quick they messed with the wrong girls.”   
“We’re going to help Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet keep Shadow Ranch,” Bess added fiercely.   
“And you can count on me to help,” said Emily.   
“And me,” echoed Helen, equally determined.   
Nancy glanced at each of her friends before a smile broke out on her face. “Well then, we just have to wait for aid to come to us. But the instant we’re unpacked, we start looking for clues. Bess, George, I want you to give me everything you found, and all your sources, where you found them, everything.”   
“Oh, you betcha,” said George.   
“You got it,” said Bess. “Plus a list of the hands?”   
Nancy smiled. “That’s right, Bess. We are going to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible. I would like to enjoy my vacation.”   
“I second that motion,” quipped George.   
“Same here,” said Bess.   
“It’s what I came here for,” remarked Emily.   
“No kidding,” said Helen. “What do we get to do in the meantime?”   
“Observe the hands carefully. Playing flirty would mask that just fine.”   
“Ooh, playing flirty spy, I like,” remarked Helen with a grin.  
“And now we wait,” muttered George. The others nodded sullenly. Nancy pulled out a notebook from her pocket. She always had one on hand, her suitcase had a couple more. But the first thing she wrote in this notebook was, ‘people trying to scare the Rawleys off shadow Ranch. Dirk Valentines treasure may be the reason for it. Or is there another reason?’


	2. The Cellar Gives its Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (This is actually chapter 6, both this and the previous chapter will be up for only a few days for the fanfic exchange in the Clue Crew. Both will be taken down so Hidden Staircase at Lilac Inn can be the first installment.)

“Why, Nancy, isn’t that Dave?” whispered Emily as the two watched the cowboy entered the pump house.   
Nancy nodded. “It certainly looks like it. Let’s see if there is a secret passageway, and if he knows about it . . .”   
“I really don’t think he’s all that bad,” whispered Emily as they inched closer towards the door.   
“Just because you like him doesn’t mean he’s off the culprit list. There’s a reason these three cowboys are intent on staying here, phantom horse or not. And I bet you one of those reasons is scaring Uncle Ed and Aunt Bet off the ranch.”   
“But all three of them?”   
Nancy held up her hand, they reached the pump house. Nancy pulled open the door and Emily peeked in.   
“I don’t see him,” she whispered her report.   
Nancy nodded. “Let’s go.” The two entered as quickly and as quietly as they could. As soon as they closed the door behind them, they looked around for the cowboy, but he wasn’t anywhere in sight.   
“Where did he go?” Emily asked, her voice barely a whisper.   
Nancy’s eyes sparkled as she whispered, “There must be a secret passageway.”   
“What is it with you and secret passages?”   
Nancy grinned as she shrugged. “I don’t know, but I like it. It’s fun finding and exploring secret passages.”   
“Apparently,” muttered Emily as Nancy proceeded to search the walls for a button of some kind. Emily went to the other side of the pump house and began checking for buttons or some kind of trigger to open a secret door. The two searched for a couple of minutes before Nancy let out a soft gasp. Emily turned and watched Nancy pull open a metal grating close to the floor. She quickly moved to where Nancy was standing.   
“Does your flashlight have enough juice?” asked Nancy. Emily nodded. “Good, let’s go.” Emily followed Nancy into the narrow hall. It went on for about a foot or so before they came to a corner. They turned it, and nearly ran into Dave. His eyes widened when he saw them.   
“What are you two doing here?” he asked harshly.   
“Following you,” stated Nancy matter-of-factly.   
Dave grimaced. “You shouldn’t have,” he began.   
“Care to explain what’s going on?” asked Nancy, waving her flashlight around the tunnel.   
He glanced between Nancy and Emily before letting out a sigh. “If I tell you, you have to promise to keep it a secret.”   
Nancy’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”   
“Just promise me, and I’ll tell you the whole truth.”   
Nancy crossed her arms. “But, how can we be certain that you are telling us the truth?”   
“I have proof, just, please, promise me. I just don’t want to tell the Rawleys, not yet anyway.”  
“Why not?” asked Emily, concerned.   
“Please, just promise me you won’t tell anybody, not a word until I’ve told them myself.”   
Nancy and Emily glanced at each other before Nancy glanced at Dave and sighed. “Fine, we promise.”   
Emily nodded her consent. “I promise.”   
“Alright, follow me.” Dave turned and led them through the tunnel and up a set of stairs to a small room. In it were several crates, a lantern, a makeshift table, a map, and several pieces of paper.   
“Wait, a cellar?” asked Nancy.   
Dave nodded as he led them towards the table. “Yes, Shadow Ranch has always had it, but no one knows about it because the door is behind the bookcase.” He picked up a piece of paper. “Here’s the proof,” he said as he handed Nancy the paper. Nancy’s eyebrows furrowed as she read the paper. Emily glanced over her shoulder to get a better look.   
“This, this is a letter from Frances Humber to her and Dirk’s. . . child?”   
Dave nodded as she and Emily glanced at him. “Yes, that letter has been passed down from generation to generation. What no one knows is that while the sheriff was away one day, the two secretly got married and, well, Frances got pregnant. She managed to keep her pregnancy a secret from her father for the most part, Dirk and his gang helping whenever they could. When it came time for the baby to be born, Dirk cooked up this scheme to keep her father away from Shadow Ranch long enough for the baby to be born. He and his gang went on a slew of crimes to keep her father occupied chasing them, while some Native Americans they had befriended looked after Frances. It worked, and Frances gave birth to a healthy baby boy who she named Charles. When the gang and her father got closer to returning, Frances gave her child to the natives to protect him from her father. It wasn’t long after that that Dirk died, and Frances left Shadow Ranch. No one outside the ranch ever knew what happened to her, but she had joined Dirk’s gang and the tribe they befriended, reuniting with her little Charles. But one year, she caught pneumonia and passed away when Charles was eight. Before Frances died, she wrote this letter to Charles and asked the natives not to give it to him until he was twenty. See, Dirk had stowed away some treasure for his wife and child, and since Frances liked puzzles, he made it a treasure hunt. The only problem was that there were three pieces needed to start the treasure hunt. Charles had one piece, the other two were hidden in Shadow Ranch. However, Charles could never gain access to Shadow Ranch to find those last two pieces, primarily because he couldn’t bring himself to let the Sheriff know that Charles was his grandson. But he didn’t stop trying, he wanted the last thing his father left for him. When he died and hadn’t gotten the treasure, his son took up the hunt. He was met with the same failure. Each generation has since taken their chances to gain access to Shadow Ranch, but always stopped by some obstacle, mostly that the ranch was being passed from person to person. Something was always going on at the ranch. But once one obstacle was overcome, another would rise in its place, until now. See, I’m . . .” He paused before letting out a breath. “I’m a descendant of Dirk Valentine and Frances Humber.” Nancy’s and Emily’s eyes bulged as they stared at him in shock.   
“Y-you’re a descendant?” Emily finally blurted after a moment of stunned silence.   
“Of Dirk Valentine and Frances Humber,” whispered Nancy. “It’s all making sense now.”   
“I didn’t rig up that phantom horse or cause any of the accidents that’s been happening around here, if that’s what you’re thinking. Besides, you have one of the pieces to the puzzle,” he said as he picked up a torn piece of a picture. Nancy let out a gasp as she took out Frances’ watch and pulled out the clue it held. She and Dave laid the pieces on the table and pushed the torn ends towards each other. They were a perfect fit.   
Nancy turned the pictures over and read the inscription. “Green bottle under stairs to cellar.”   
“Except there is no green bottle,” said Dave as he waved his arm to show the cellar, “I’ve looked everywhere, three times or more.”   
“So this was your investigation!” realized Nancy.   
Dirk nodded. “Right, except I didn’t know what I was looking for, until now. But still, I haven’t found anything,” he added with a shrug.   
Nancy pursed her lips as she thought intently. Dave and Emily watched her for a bit before Dave turned to thinking himself.   
Nancy glanced at Dave. “Are there any other secret passages that branch out from here?”   
“I haven’t found any, but that . . .” He paused as his eyes widened. “Frances meant those stairs!”   
“Wait, what?” asked Emily as Dave grabbed his lantern and rushed back the way they came. He turned around as he reached the bottom step and began feeling the stairs. Nancy followed suit, starting at the top. She let out a squeal as a stair popped open. Dave rushed up and helped Nancy prop open the stair. Emily flashed her light on it. Inside was a puzzle.   
Dave smiled. “Typical Frances. Emily, could you hold that just a little higher?”   
“Of course!” said Emily with a smile. She was glad to be of some use.   
“Hmm, it looks like we have to move this little piece to the other side of the stair,” remarked Nancy as she scrutinized the puzzle.   
“It does. Well, let’s figure out how to get it there,” remarked Dave.  
A few minutes later, Nancy and Dave had solved the puzzle. The bottom of the puzzle sprung up to reveal a tiny green bottle. Dave picked it up gingerly while Nancy quickly closed the puzzle and the stair. Dave opened the bottle and a roll of paper fell out into his hand.   
Dave indicated back up the stairs. “Let’s get this to the table to examine.”   
Nancy nodded. “Good idea.” The three quickly made their way back into the cellar and Dave laid the tiny roll on the table. He glanced at the two girls before letting out a breath and unrolling the paper. There were three letters from Dirk to Frances. The three each picked one up.   
Nancy gasped. “This has the clues to the treasure! Well, at least to help us on the hunt.”   
“To the flowers, anyway,” remarked Emily.   
Dave glanced at each of them before his eyes rested on Nancy. “You’re a lot like Frances Humber, aren’t you? Solving puzzles and all that.”   
Emily giggled. “You have no idea. She found a secret tunnel underneath my house! Well, it’s actually an inn, I just live there, it’s easier. But, yeah, she definitely likes it.” Emily smiled at Nancy warmly.   
Dave nodded. “Makes sense. It also explains a few things.”   
Nancy’s eyebrow went up. “Like?”   
Dave smirked. “Like why you’re not such a tenderfoot.”   
Nancy grinned. “I guess that does, huh?”   
“So, um, now what?”   
Nancy glanced at Emily before glancing back at Dave. “I think we should look for Dirk’s treasure . . . and catch whoever is trying to scare off the Rawleys.”   
Dave tipped his hat. “I’ll be happy to be of service on both counts.”   
“But you surmised that the person who’s trying to scare off the Rawleys was also looking for the treasure,” remarked Emily.   
Nancy nodded. “Which means either Tex or Shorty, or both, are also looking for it.”   
Dave raised his eyebrow. “Tex? Oh no, there’s no way he’s looking for it.” Nancy and Emily glanced at him quizzically as he chuckled. “If you’re wondering about where he’s been going, I can tell you that. He’s been going for long walks near the cliff dwellings. Having all these people here, especially people from the city, gets on his nerves a lot. Tex prefers horses and nature to people.”   
“Which means . . .” began Nancy.   
“Does that mean it’s just Shorty?” blurted Emily.   
Dave’s eyes narrowed. “I’m beginning to wonder . . . listen, we should get top-side before anyone wonders where we are.”   
Nancy nodded. “Good idea.” She paused when she saw Emily moving towards the staircase to the den. “Emily?”   
Emily bent over and picked up a quaint little purse. “This looks old.”   
“Bring it, it could be important, we’ll check it out at the house,” said Nancy before going into the tunnel after Dave. Emily quickly followed.   
Dave led the way back to the pump house. He opened the door a crack and peeked out. He quickly ducked back in and quietly closed the door. “Shorty’s out there,” he whispered. “Did anyone see you come in here?”   
Nancy and Emily shook their heads. They hadn’t seen anyone in the yard when they followed Dave in.   
“Is there anyone in the house?”   
“Just Mrs. Thurmond,” said Emily.   
“No one else is here?”   
Nancy shook her head. “Tex, Walt, and Bud took Bess, Alice, Helen, and George out for some riding lessons. Mr. and Mrs. Rawley are out taking care of that business matter with Mary Yazzie, and then they were going to go get some supplies.”   
Dave nodded. “Alright, you two head back through the tunnel and get into the house. I can tell Shorty I was checking up on the pump.”   
“We can say the same,” pointed out Nancy.   
Dave pursed his lips as Nancy crossed her arms. “Oh, fine, we’ll say all three of us were checking up on the pump.”   
“That is what we were going to do originally when we saw you,” said Emily.   
Dave smirked. “So you’ll be mostly telling the truth.”   
“Pretty much,” replied Nancy.   
Dave peeked out the door again. “Alright, Shorty’s heading towards the stables. Maybe we won’t have to say anything, but, just in case . . .”   
“Checking the pump,” the girls chorused with smirks.   
“You got it.” Dave opened the door and walked out, followed a couple seconds later by Nancy and Emily. Shorty saw them as he rode out on a bay, but only a confused expression passed across his face. Dave saw it, merely shrugged then gave him a thumbs up. Shorty nodded before riding off. Dave let out a breath before the three made their way towards the house. They were met in the kitchen by Mrs. Thurmond. An eyebrow was raised at the trio as her hands were on her hips.   
“It’s OK, Mrs. Thurmond, they know,” remarked Dave. All three women glanced at him in shock.   
“They know?” blurted Mrs. Thurmond.  
“She knows?” asked Nancy and Emily at the same time.   
Dave shot them an apologetic grin. “Mrs. Thurmond is a descendant of Dirk Valentine’s right hand man, and one of the native women who took care of Charles Valentine.”   
Nancy and Emily’s mouths dropped wider as they glanced at Mrs. Thurmond. Mrs. Thurmond smiled sheepishly as she gave a little curtsy. “That’s right, descendant of Greg Thurmond, at your service.”   
“And that’s why you always stood up for Dave, you knew he was looking for the treasure!” exclaimed Nancy. She glanced at Dave. “Which means that it was you that night I heard going through the house, Mrs. Thurmond was covering for you!”   
Dave nodded. “I got out of the house via the cellar and came back from the pump house.”   
“Not only that, but, I was the one who recommended him to the Rawleys.” Mrs. Thurmond placed her hands on her hips and gave Dave a stern look. “Of course it doesn’t help that you have that low-grade, almost rude, attitude of yours when people meet you.”   
Dave sighed. “I like being straight to the point, Mrs. Thurmond.”   
“Except when it comes to your ancestry,” remarked Nancy.   
Dave shrugged. “Well, when your ancestors find out the hard way that either no one will believe you’re Dirk and Frances’ descendant and won’t let you into Shadow Ranch just to look around, or they will believe you and prevent you from ever stepping foot on Shadow Ranch again . . . well, some things are best left unsaid. But it is good to be straight to the point and honest with people.”   
“Adding a smile helps, sweetie. It certainly makes your face look more pleasant.”   
Dave gave her a forced grin. “Yeah, well, I’m working on it. Can we discuss this at a later time, Mrs. Thurmond? We, uh, have a clue to follow.”   
Her face lit up. “Really? Well, come on, the dining table is clear.”   
“But Mrs. Thurmond,” began Nancy.   
“That way, I can send you out on chores, if need be,” said Mrs Thurmond with a wink.   
Nancy paused as her eyes widened with realization. Mrs. Thurmond was giving them a way to keep it a secret! She grinned at Mrs. Thurmond. “That’ll be perfect.”   
Dave chuckled as he followed Nancy and Emily to the dining table. “You’re always looking after me and Tex, huh?”   
“And these fine, not-so-city girls.”   
Emily giggled. “Well, considering Titusville and River Heights aren’t exactly cities, they’re more like towns, that might explain a thing or two.”   
Mrs. Thurmond nodded, impressed. “That it would, maybe. Doesn’t mean you should go generalising people based on bad experiences. It’s the cause of a lot of problems in the world today. Now, about this . . .” She paused as Nancy held up her hand and put her finger to her lips. She went to a window and pulled the curtain a bit to peek out.   
She turned to the others. “Dave, could you check the yard?”   
Dave gave her a curt nod. “On it.”   
“Emily, can you double check the rooms? And get the journal. I’ll check the front. Mrs. Thurmond, make sure all the windows in the kitchen are closed tight and the curtains closed.”   
Mrs. Thurmond nodded, impressed again. “Good, you’re not taking any chances.” The four quickly set about their tasks. Nancy was the first back to the kitchen.   
Mrs. Thurmond gave her a doughy thumbs up as she paused in kneading bread dough. “Windows secured.”   
Nancy nodded. “Good, thank you.”   
Emily came in a second later. “No one else is in the house, and all the windows are secured.”   
“Wonderful. Now, we just have to wait for . . .” Nancy paused as the back door opened and Dave walked in, a worried expression on his face.   
“Yard is all clear. Shorty’s still out, and I know we don’t question where the other hands go on their time off, but, now that we’ve narrowed it down to him . . .”   
“You suspect Shorty of rigging up that phantom horse and causing all the accidents?” asked Mrs. Thurmond.   
Dave, Emily, and Nancy all nodded. “And now I’m concerned he’s up to no good right now,” said Dave.   
“We’ll have to find out later, right now’s our best chance of working on finding Dirk’s treasure without him around,” stated Nancy as she sat down at the table. She and Dave pulled out everything they had pertaining to Dirk’s treasure. Dave’s eyes nearly bulged when Emily produced the journal and the letter they had found in the den.   
“This was what you were looking for, wasn’t it?” asked Nancy with a smirk.   
Dave nodded. “You betcha. And all I had to do was wait for you to come along and get me on track.” He grinned. “Guess I just needed another ‘Frances Humber’.”   
Nancy chuckled. “Well, based on what I know of her, I can safely say that the puzzle thing is the only thing we have in common. I don’t play the piano nor do I do any crafts. I stick my nose into other people’s business and driving our housekeeper Hannah nuts with all the notebooks I leave lying about.”   
Emily snickered. “Yeah, the fake Joan was complaining about it too.”   
Dave’s eyebrow raised. “Fake Joan?”   
Emily smirked. “Nancy solved my mystery too, finding Josiah Crawley’s will for me. Time will tell.”   
“Uh . . .”   
“He hid the first clue in a clock he gave us,” replied Emily.   
“Which gave you the idea to look in that old broken down clock in the den, which led to us finding the journal and the letter,” said Nancy, proud of her friend.   
“Looks like you have quite the apprentice,” remarked Dave.   
Emily giggled. “Thank you.”   
“You’ll have to tell me that story,” began Dave.   
“Once we’ve solved yours,” remarked Nancy as she opened her notebook and opened a web browser on her phone. She glanced at each of them. “Let’s get going before Shorty gets back, at least.”   
“Right,” said Dave with a nod, and the group got into it. Because of the family stories passed down, Dave could fill in quite a few pieces. With his knowledge, the letters, and the journal, they were able to gather five of Frances’ favorite flowers. The sixth one would have to wait until they fixed the purse.   
There was a moment of silence while all four tried to figure out how they could fix the purse. Emily and Dave swapped positions, Dave got up and paced, giving Emily his chair while she mused over the design of the purse. Mrs. Thurmond was slowly kneading another loaf of bread, her thoughts straying to the mystery at hand. Nancy sat staring into space for a while before flipping through her notebook.   
She finally broke the silence with, “I think we might have to go to Mary Yazzie.”   
“What makes you say that?” asked Emily as Dave paused in his pacing to look at her.   
“This is beadwork. She might be the only one for miles around with any extra beads.”   
Dave nodded. “That’s true.”   
Emily rose from her chair. “Then let’s head over there right away.” Everyone went as still as statues when the sound of horses neighing met their ears. Dave strode to the window and peeked out while Nancy and Emily began picking up everything on the table.   
“Ah, darn it, it’s Tex and the others. I need to get out there and finish my chores before Walt blows his fuse.”   
“Gather me some peas, will you Dave?” said Mrs. Thurmond as she began putting some dough in a pan.   
Dave shot her a grin. “Yes ma’am.”   
“As soon as we’ve hidden these clues in our room, Emily and I are heading over to Mary’s,” said Nancy as the two headed towards the den with a stack of papers each.   
“Shall I get your horses saddled up?”   
“Yes please. Or if Walt has a problem, you can ask Tex to do it,” said Nancy.   
Dave tipped his hat. “Yes ma’am.” He quickly opened the door and walked out. Nancy and Emily rushed back to their room and hid all the clues as quickly as possible. Nancy wasn’t too worried about it, though. If George, Bess, Helen, and Alice were going to be here, they could keep an eye on it. Plus, they did have extra allies in both Mrs. Thurmond and Dave, and quite possibly Tex. With their numbers growing, hopefully they could take out the culprit easily enough. But there was something, some piece of information nagging at the back of her mind, something that should be important. What was it?   
“Nancy, aren’t we going to Mary’s?” Emily’s words snapped Nancy out of her musings.   
“Oh yes, sorry, got lost in thought for a minute there.”   
“What were you thinking about?” asked Emily.   
“More like trying to remember something. There’s a clue that I overlooked somewhere,” replied Nancy as she flipped open her notebook and quickly wrote down the questions that came to mind. ‘Shorty must not be working alone. But who is he working with? Where are they, if they aren’t on the ranch? What did I miss? Why can’t I remember that piece of information? Why is it so important?’


End file.
